I Woke Up One Day and Realized I'd Been Asleep for Years
Do you ever feel like you're going from one thing to the next without much thought? Constantly in rush mode, just trying to get through this moment to get to the next thing? Going through the motions?
I've been there. Multiple times. And here's what I've learned: living on autopilot isn't really living. It's just existing.
Life passes by while we're busy checking boxes, saying yes out of habit, and moving from task to task without actually being present for any of it.
Sometimes life smacks you in the face with a curveball that forces you to wake up. A loss, a health crisis, a breaking point. These events divide our lives into "before" and "after."
But here's the good news: you don't have to wait for a crisis to make changes. You can take action now.
Start by acknowledging it
The first step to solving any problem is admitting there is one. You need to acknowledge to yourself that you've been going through the motions without much thought. Once you accept you've been living this way, you can begin to change.
Pause before answering
When we're on autopilot, we don't take time to think before responding. Someone asks us to do something, and we automatically say yes. Someone asks how we're doing, and we say "fine" without thinking.
The next time someone asks if you can do something, pause. Take a few seconds to actually consider the real answer. Do you want to do that activity? If not, say no. If you're struggling right now, say "I'm having a hard time" instead of "I'm fine."
This may sound simple, but it's powerful. Pausing before you answer is a genuine way to begin living with more intentionality.
Track one thing
When we're living mindlessly, we do things without thinking. We scroll through social media because we're bored. We eat when we're not hungry. We spend money without thought and then wonder where it went.
Pick one area to start tracking, not everything, just one thing. Screen time is a good place to start. How much time are you really spending on your phone? Most phones have built-in tracking that will tell you. You might be shocked. All that time staring at your screen disconnects you from everyone around you and from your own life.
Or track your spending for 30 days. Write down every single purchase, coffee, lunch, gas, everything. Add up the categories and see how much you actually spent. When you realize eating out for lunch multiple times a week costs significantly more than you thought, you can decide if you want to keep spending money that way or redirect it somewhere more meaningful.
I'm not suggesting you track everything in your life. That's overwhelming and unsustainable. Just pick one area that matters to you and pay attention to it for a while. Awareness is the first step to change.
Write it down
Journaling helps you be more actively engaged in your own life. Set a timer for five minutes and just write about whatever comes to mind. Or use questions to guide you: What do I enjoy about my life right now? Is there anything I wish I could change? What do I want more of in my life, and what's one thing I can do to bring that in today?
The purpose isn't perfect journal entries. It's getting you to think more deeply about your life and how you're living it.
Be present
Meditation is about being in the present moment. There are countless apps available to help you develop a practice. Find one you like and use it. Even five minutes a day makes a difference.
Start small
I've given you several strategies here. Don't try to implement all of them at once. Start with just one or two. When we try to make too many changes at the same time, we get overwhelmed and give up. When we incorporate smaller changes one at a time, they become habits. They become second nature.
Your wake-up call
Life is too important to just go through the motions. You don't have to wait for a crisis to force you awake.
What are you doing on autopilot? What would change if you started paying attention?
The life you want starts with waking up. And you can do that today.